The rise of MPVs, such as the Ford C-MAX, and SUV crossovers, like the Nissan Qashqai, has put family estate sales under pressure.

What was once the de-facto choice for the family on the move is now an endangered species.

And that’s great news for the secondhand buyer. Compared to the more fashionable offerings, the estate car’s lack of desirability makes them very cheap indeed.

Combine this with a petrol engine and you have the perfect recipe for hassle-free motoring.

To put this in some kind of perspective, data from one used-car website shows the average price for a 2.0-litre diesel Mondeo estate, at three years old, is £10,261.

A Ford S-MAX with the same engine and mileage comes in at £13,520. That’s quite a difference.

So if you don’t care about fashion and just want a practical, sensible car for carrying loads of stuff about, here are our three best picks at the £3000, £5000 and £8000 price points.

Ford Mondeo

The Mondeo is the definitive family estate. The ride/handling compromise is second to none and although cars at this price point are one generation old they are still pin sharp. The cabin is huge and it feels well put together. It should hold its value well too.

With a bit of digging around, we found that an eight-year-old car with less than 50,000 miles on the clock, a 2.0-litre petrol engine and smooth automatic gearbox can be picked up for £2950.

Vauxhall Vectra

It’s amazing how much money the wrong badge can save you. Here’s a class-competitive car with excellent engine, chassis and mechanicals – yet it’s unbelievably cheap. It’s absolutely huge inside and immensely practical. It’s also as well built as an Audi, yet half the price.

Shop around and you could get the likes of a five-year-old car with 60,000 miles and a 1.8-litre petrol engine for about £4900.

Mercedes E-Class

If you go petrol and don’t care about the specification, even the mighty E-Class is within range.

This is the gold standard of family estates and with good reason. It’s incredibly comfortable and easy to use, with unrivalled load capacity. Or you could buy a diesel Renault Scenic with loads of miles for the same money.

We found a six-year-old E-Class estate with a bullet-proof 2.8-litre petrol engine and full leather, with under 40,000 miles on the clock, for just £7995.